Robotech: The Cosmic Era
by F-14 Tomcat Lover
Summary: Cosmic Era 73, war is being waged between the OMNI Enforcer and ZAFT. Now a long forgotton faction reappears with a great legend. Can Cagalli Yula Attha, the exiled leader of the Orb Union use this new found power to end the war and prepare for the next?
1. Legends

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED or Robotech.

Brief Summary: An improved and hopefully better version of my Project Guntech.

_**Robotech: The Cosmic Era**_

_**Prologue**_

_**Launch of a Legend!**_

**Battlefield: Reflex Point REF Research Base**

**Location: Ruins of Reflex Point, Ruins of New Macross City, Montana Sector, North America**

**Status: Under Attack**

**Condition: Base Seizure Imminent**

**Final Orders: Hold at all costs until Project Fenix is away!**

**Date: March 25****th****, 2054 Amino Domino**

Cannons roared to life as turrets pivoted as the final defense of a seemingly basic research base tried to stem or at the least, which was the more probable, slow the tide of enemy mecha at the gates to the most heavily defended part of the base.

The one dome looked insignificant to any who had ever seen, but that was the whole point as it hid a great secret, one that the attacking enemy was desperate to destroy.

The defenders fought back valiantly, but the enemy was too great in number and it was only a matter of time before the base fell, but what a blast it would have going out!

Inside the Command Center, the base commander knew that the base would fall soon. He watched and he listened to all that was going on around him. The launching of the reason, the true reason for his base was nearly ready as the lead scientist stumbled in… and clearly full of fury.

"What is the meaning…" the woman's voice failed as the base commander turned and shot her with a tranquilizer dart.

Two men grabbed her as she fell, the world fading before her eyes as the base commander spoke to her.

"Protect our greatest treasure and ensure a free world for humanity," the aged man watched as the defenders charged with the last of their mecha into the teeth of the enemy fire, "built upon the Trinity of Freedom, Justice, and Liberty for all," more soldiers were cut down as they fought, "so that our sacrifice, and that of others shall have merit and that the United Nation of Earth with be whole and free once more," taking a breath as the final turrets fought back and were lost, " So that all of humanity may be free once more."

The woman fell into a forced slumber as the two guards carried her away and to the ship that would ferry her and others to safety.

The commander of the attacking forces watched as his forces forced their way into the target. He held a smile of absolute glee and that his troops have finally won. They have finally ended decades of foolishness and war brought on by crying and good natured fools. Yet, all that was shattered when intense fire came out of the doom and the lead forces sent a final, garbled message.

"_IT…ZZZ…A DECOY…ZZZ…MECHA…ZZZ…WAIT…"_

Defense forces surged forward as their ambush had worked and so did their trick. The dome was a decoy to lure the enemy away from the real site. In fact the whole base was a decoy and did what any Research Base did; research, but also a decoy for the _real_ facilities that were rebuilding a legend.

The base would yet fall, but it would not be so soon.

**Hidden Base of Project Fenix**

**Final Preparations Nearing End**

"Two more hours and all will be ready my old friend," the man said as he gazed upon a marble of engineering and determination.

An aide spoke, "That is going to cut it close to the limit, but it will work, but I just don't like…" the aide collapsed as he had been shot with a tranquilizer dart by his superior.

"I'm too old and you're too young. Live well my friend," the young aide was picked up and carried to be cryogenetically frozen for the long trip.

"_T minus one hour and thirty eight minutes till launch," _the PA system announced.

"Move it!" yelled a military officer rushing his troops aboard the ship.

As soon as the announcement was made, everything picked up. There would be no second chance; there would be no chance to come back for things or peole either. Using information obtained years ago by dumbest luck to exist, a mighty legend would be hurled into space, to await its return when the world the order came and the fleet rejoined.

That was the plan, but as all know, the best laid plans always have a habit to go awry.

…And now was one of those times.

**Research Base's Main Command Center**

"The enemy has found it!" cried a controller as she watched as the enemy began to move towards the real facilities, en masse and intent clear as a day in July.

"Then make them pay for their traitorous acts! Make them pay for all the innocent blood they spill for the sake of their power! Show them want we have and they lack!" roared the commander as the battle entered its final phase.

**The battlefield**

The Robotech Defense Forces rallied to hold off the rebels with one last great charge…

…and succeeded, but at the near lost of all their remaining forces.

But, two more precious hours had been brought, more than enough.

**Research Command Center**

"Men, women, it has been both a pleasure and an honor to have served with you," the aged commander spoke, "and today, I'm sure you'd agree, is a fine day as any to die," the general looked around, not at subordinates, but his, "especially with family such as you."

The men and women left alive in the Command Center smiled, even with the enemy breaking down the doors to get inside the Command Center and take control of the base. The doors were stubborn as were the defenders. All aimed their weapons. They would take as many as they could with one last stand.

The doors finally gave…

The enemy rushed in…

There were rifle and assault weapons discharge everywhere…

There were grenades going off…

Soldiers fell…

Others screamed…

The base commander looked on calmly as he hit a special button…

…And the entire research base began to self destruct with a weapon stolen from the enemy…

…they call it a Cyclops System.

The commander's last thought was, _'Logos, we, the United Nation Spacy, deny you these weapons and your future!'_

This was at the same time as the legend of old rocketed into space, looking as magnificent as it did many years ago when the First Robotech War broke out on her commissioning day. She would most likely be lost and forgotten, but then she would be magically reborn, like she was over the last few years from a pile of rust they had found and unburied. She would once more continue to protect Earth and the whole of humanity.

After all, _'Great Empires fall from with in, not from without.'_

**The Battlefield**

The main bulk of Logos' forces were wiped out in the releasing of microwave energy. The soldiers blew up like balloons and then exploded. Their equipment overheated and became giant bombs that sent debris flying in all directions.

In short order, Logos lost ninety-three percent of their forces…

…With their own weapon.

As the explosion finally ended, the legend that all had fought to protect safely reached a high orbit above the planet. The hopes and dreams of so many fallen now rested on a single ship once more, but like her first time going into hyperspace, something went wrong and she was now trapped inside a temporal bubble not far from a site that would see heavy fighting many decades into the future. Then a legend would return and terrorize those who used people as tools, slaves, servants, and finally as pawns.


	2. One More

_**Robotech: The Cosmic Era**_

_**Chapter One**_

_**There Stood More Than One**_

"_**Fly forth with Eagle's Talons Gundam!"**_

_**

* * *

**_As the two warriors dueled, death blows being landed upon each other, the terrible engine of death began to fire as the heroic warrior drove his pillar of frozen flame into the cockpit of his opponent, a man of madness and derangement. The mighty cannon behind them fired as the saber pierced the enemy mobile suit. The two had no way to escape and were caught in the blast of GENESIS just as another mobile suit exploded inside the main cartridge chamber. The resulting twin nuclear detonation resulted in a misfire, and GENESIS tore itself apart.

The heroic Sword of Freedom and the deranged White Knight were no where to be found after the explosion.

On the ship from which the Sword of Freedom had launched into battle, his twin sister, his fiancé, and his best friend mourned his loss as did others. The two other ships in the formation made to leave the battleground, but remnant radical forces were intent on carrying out their own madness. Only the appearance of the forces wishing for the terrible war to just end appeared led by the Silver Duelist's own confidant; they overwhelmed the radicals, forcing them to hide or be destroyed.

The three ships then left and vanished into the void.

One would reappear at the space station Ame-no-Mihashira, as the flagship of the United Emirates of Orb Space Fleet; the _OUS Kusanagi_ carried the leader of the Orb Union, Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha.

One would hide in Orb proper, the former member of the Atlantic Federation Space Forces, 8th Fleet, the mighty and 'Indestructible' _AFS Archangel_, a beautiful and magnificent white ship very much like her namesake would rest and recover, ready to fight again if need be.

The last, the ZAFT ship, _ZMS Eternal_ would also hide, among the many debris fields that created the Debris Belt around Earth.

A peace treaty was finally signed between the Earth Alliance and its military forces, the Oppose Militancy and Neutralize Invasion (OMNI) Enforcer and the PLANTS (Production Location of Ally Nexus TechnologieS) and its military force, the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty or ZAFT for short.

Two years of peace would reign, but with radicals working both sides of the fence, it was only a lull in the fighting. The real war was about to begin. After all, there were those who liked to play god and they would continue to do so until good people put a stop to them.

Yet, this time, a heroic ship from a bygone era would appear. The champion that had defended Earth once in the past had decided the time was right and the legend turned myth, turned forgotten memory would return and with-in the shine of its shield of light, no evil shall stand.

It has now been two years and the month is October, it is the sixth day of the month and the seventy-third year of the Cosmic Era…

* * *

**Ruins of Junius Seven Airspace**

**1403 Hours **_**ZMS Minerva**_** Standard Time**

**October 6****th****, Year 73 of the Cosmic Era**

**Conditions: J7 is losing attitude and is falling towards Earth, enemy forces confirmed, heavy losses suffered among Joule Team, reinforcements needed.**

**Enemy Forces: Unknown group with ZGMF-1017M2 GINN High Maneuver Type II; possible Zala Faction remnants; OMNI Enforcer forces unconfirmed, but may change as battle progresses.**

**Mission Parameters: The Mobile Suits of the Minerva will reinforce the beleaguered Joule Team…**

"…_and assist in the installment of Meteor Breakers, please proceed with caution and may the Heavenly Stars protect and guide you,"_ the voice of Green Coat Meyrin Hawke, Parasite Controller, of the _ZMS Minerva_ informed the four mobile suit pilots as they awaited launch.

The fifteen year old redhead girl sounded as young and naïve as her age would suggest, but she was a skilled hacker and communications technician. She was well shaped from long hours of drill and training. Her hair was long, but done up in two pony tails which kept it under control and out of the way. Her bluish-violet eyes shined with barely and poorly concealed worry as her older sister of a year was about to enter into battle along with their friends and the MIA hero who was called the Flames of Justice, Athrun Zala, a former ZAFT Red Coat and Special Forces operative who went missing at the end of the last war.

* * *

In a red ZGMF-1000/A1 Gunner ZAKU Warrior was Red Coat Lunamaria Hawke, Meyrin's sister. She had short red hair and also had bluish-violet eyes. She like her sister was well toned and shapely as a result of her drill and training. She was also the best gunner of her entire class and second only to those who are veterans of the Valentine War just two years ago nearly to the day.

In a white ZGM-1001/M Blaze ZAKU Phantom was Rey Ze Burrel. He had long blonde hair and blue eyes. He too was a ZAFT Red Coat and is the ship's general purpose pilot. His skin tone like that of all PLANT natives is a whitish hue, but his ethnic background is that of European, so one can't tell the difference to begin with. He is also quite mysterious and stoned face. He has few, if any, real friends and always seems to prefer that even though he is easy enough to get along with.

Though his mobile suit makes a lot of veterans avoid him, after all, many know about Rau Le Creuset and the paint scheme makes them avoid him like the plague.

* * *

In a standard green colored /M Blaze ZAKU Warrior was Athrun Zala. The emerald eyed, midnight blue haired ace once hailed as the second greatest ace of ZAFT had disappeared after his father's death and the subsequent destruction of GENESIS. Only his height and voice have changed as years have gone by. He still carries the burden of what his father tried to do, but now he lives as the personal bodyguard for Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha, head of the Athha House and leader of her country, the United Emirates of Orb, often simply called the Orb Union. The two are close, but as time goes by, it becomes more difficult for the two to be lovers as they were when the war ended.

He will now sortie to stop the colony where the first war began and is the grave for nearly a quarter of a million people, including his mother. He will protect the country of the woman he lives for now, until he can find the truth that he searches for… or go out like he wanted, and still does, back at GENESIS.

* * *

Sitting in the blue and white YFX-M56 Core Splendor, was the raven haired, ruby eyed Red Coat Shinn Asuka. Shinn was originally from Orb, but now blames the country and its leaders for the death of his family and loathes the land. His skin as a result is tanned like that of Representative Athha and her bodyguard/lover Athrun Zala instead of the pale hues of space born individuals. He joined ZAFT as soon as he arrived in the PLANTS and is considered the number one pilot out of all of ZAFT's ranks, much to the disgust of the veterans who would argue otherwise.

They still say that Athrun Zala is their best pilot with Commander Yzak Joule and Red Coat Dearka Elsmen as the second and third. So that would make Commander Joule the current top ranked pilot as most believe Athrun Zala to be dead or missing still.

* * *

"_Launch mobile suits!"_ the order comes over the PA from White Commander and ship CO, Captain Talia Gladys, after a brief pep talk from Council Chairman Gilbert Durandal.

The _Minerva_ compliment is immediately launched into battle.

* * *

"Dammit it!" Commander Yzak Joule screams as the Earth Forces enter the fray, shooting at anything and everything that doesn't have an OMNI Enforcer tag.

He's just glad that Athrun is taking care of the Rooks from the _Minerva_ as he and his long time friend Dearka Elsmen are a bit busy trying to save their own team. He really, really hates war as another of his units, ZGMF-601R GuAIZ R mobile suits, explodes. He then sees one dance around enemy fire and quickly claims two GINN HM Type IIs.

It's the one and only Shiho Hahnenfuss.

The coffee brown haired, violet eyed woman who was a Red Coat and also a veteran of the previous conflict. She had survived some tough scrapes in the last war, including fighting against the war's leading ace pilot, the Sword of Freedom, Ensign Kira Yamato of the OMNI Enforcer in both his GAT-X105 Strike and ZGMF-X10A Freedom on several different occasions and the battles of JOSH-A, Panama, Mendel, Boaz, and finally Second Jachin Due. She was around his age and like all military personnel who are frontline combat pilots, she was in excellent physical condition.

Her hair was down to her shoulder blades and her personality was that of a professional. Though, not so secretly, she favored her commander heavily and would follow him anywhere. The two were secretly engaged when Yzak proposed several months earlier at the start of their deployment. Though that will now have to wait.

Yzak roared in rage as he lashed out against the ZGMF-X33S Abyss in his ZGMF-1001/K Slash ZAKU Phantom. The pilot, while enhanced as an Extended named Auel Neider, was quickly pushed back by the aggressive spirit and fighting posture of the Silver Duelist. A veteran of the last war and having survived the most vicious fighting of the last war and having survived the Sword of Freedom a dozen times over, he knew war better than his opponent. It was clear from the get go that Silver Duelist would win.

Though Yzak was wishing for his GAT-X102 Duel, as it was a superior machine even to the New Millennium series, despite is age.

His opponent then tried to perform a feint with an overhead downward slash. The move was flashy, but utterly useless under the current conditions as well as predictable. As such Yzak easily countered and nearly sliced his opponent's weapon in two.

"I'm no nugget and this ain't no sim! I'm the Silver Duelist! Flee while you live!" Yzak roared taking to the offensive and his opponent was barely keeping away from Yzak.

The battle was getting more and more out of control when a new force entered the fray. Wanting the disaster to be successful, Lord Djibril had sent a small, elite secret force known as the Freedom Crux.

* * *

The squadron was rather old and very infamous. Contrary to their name, they did not fight for justice, but rather for freedom of a different kind. That was the freedom of the strong to rule the weak. Yet it had been another squadron of heroes that had gone up against them, outnumbered and outgunned, with most members having no prior combat experience that toppled the Freedom Crux.

And this day, that squadron would reappear…

* * *

_ZMS Voltaire_ had caught sight of the squadron of sixteen mobile suits approaching at high speed. Joining up with the three machines already deployed by the Alliance, even Shiho, Yzak, Dearka, and Athrun were feeling the pinch. The remaining members of the Joule Team had successfully withdrawn by this time. The mission would be a bust at this rate.

"_NO! GET BACK!"_ Lunamaria screamed out as she tried in vain to shot down a pair of enemies closing fast.

The burgundy colored units got in close, too close as one drew a beam saber, intent on killing Lunamaria with a thrust attack.

The other readied its rifle; the twin split green visors of the two suits glowed with a deadly and unearthly neon green as red crackles of energy were built up between its rifle's charge pylons.

Lunamaria closed her eyes as death was about to claim her.

Therefore, when her ZAKU was only shaken, she was surprised when her eyes snapped open.

There before her was the debris of the two mobile suits or rather what was left of the expanding debris clouds as a new white and black mobile suit with a gold and black head with four antennas pointed back. The mobile suit had a green visor as well, but it reminds her more of the GAT-01A1 '105' Dagger. Though, the whole design seemed to lend to itself as more of a helmet much like a Gundam type mobile suit.

And unlike her two would be assailants, instead of an old style cross super imposed upon a shield, there was a skull and crossbones on the chest with a blue circle with a white kite like triangular symbol on the shoulders.

"_This is Skull One, are you alive?"_ the pilot asked in a concern as he had placed his left hand on her shoulder and then pulled her in so as to touch the heads of the two suits to allow for communications.

"Y-yes, I-I am," she replied nervously as she stuttered at the thought of being alive and unharmed.

"_That's good to hear,"_ he said in relief, but continued with a more serious tone, _"Withdraw from the area with your allies, we're take it from here and try to lower the resulting damage as best we can."_

"Can't we stop it all together?" she asked surprised.

"_No, it's too late to stop it, but my pilots and I can lower the damage, but only if your forces were to withdraw,"_ Skull One then pointed to show just how truly late it was.

"Good luck," Lunamaria said and began to withdraw, only for Skull One to leave one more message for her.

"_Tell Athrun and Dearka, if their still searching, that an old friend would like the company in finding the answers of the journey they sent out for back in Orb,"_ and with that cryptic message, Skull One then let go of the red ZAKU and transformed before it into a fighter jet with a booster pack and shot off like a missile into the battle going on.

"A transformable fighter!?" Lunamaria wondered who would make such a machine.

Shaking her head, Lunamaria Hawke knew her mission now and opened a communications link to the _ZMS Minerva_. She explained that another group was now trying to prevent massive damage to Earth as it was too late to do much else. She said that Skull One wanted them clear for them to try something to minimize the damage to Earth. She said she believed them and said that Skull One had a message for both Athrun and Dearka about a journey started back on Earth, back in Orb.

* * *

Captain Talia Gladys was a woman who knew risks and took the right ones, or that's what she liked to believe. She was so sure what to do now. She knew her decision would be big, but the decision she had to make would either be right or wrong.

"Withdraw all forces! We're let Skull One and his allies deal with Junius Seven!" Cagalli barked out knowing something of what was going on.

For the last time that Athrun and Dearka had been together in Orb was during the funeral services for those from Orb who lost their lives in space. Yet for a journey to be started by three people and Yzak was accounted for at this time, it could have only been one person. Her shining eyes was the only give away as to who it might be.

"Ma'ma?" Arthur Trine asked his superior as he looked towards her.

Seeing Cagalli's eyes shine like they were was the only thing needed for the captain to make her choice.

"Withdraw all forces, let's leave this to Skull," she said, curious about the name.

"All forces withdraw and let Skull handle the task!" Meyrin sent the order immediately.

"_Withdraw?! But what about Earth?"_ Shinn yelled, not believing his ears when a new voice came on.

"_This is Skull One, get clear now and let our Tomcat Valkyries handle the job!"_ Skull One's voice held an authoritive edge to it before he added, _"We can also survive re-entry with ease."_

"_Yzak Joule here, we're retreating, and stay safe Skull,"_ Yzak said with a small grin at the thought of his rival being alive.

"_Stay safe Joule,"_ Skull One returned.

The battle took an entirely new turn as the Skull Squadron began to give the Freedom Crux Squadron an impossible nightmare made reality. The terrorists were little more than clay pigeons to the Skull pilots. As for the trio of Alliance pilots and their ship…

"STELLA WANT TO RUN AWAY!" the said blonde screamed as the First and Second Elements of Wolf Squadron chased her across the battlefield.

Her skills and machine were no match for the Wolf pilots and their Veritechs. It was almost comical in how she was fleeing them. Yet, with deadly projectiles and energy lances crossing from the two sides, it was not. It was a deadly dance of a pack of wolves chasing its prey, trying to hem it in for the kill. Yet, this prey was quite elusive.

As for the others of the trio, both were stuck with an element a piece and were holding on by their finger nails as their ship the _Girty Lue_ dueled with the enemy mothership.

At 220 meters in width and 440 in length, it was a ship larger than even the _Archangel_ and was tremendously well armed. It had missile batteries and CIWS clusters with five main cannons that could out range and out shot the _OES Girty Lue_ any day of the week and twice on Sunday. It also packed torpedo tubes that were used every so often to shake up the crew and keep them on a taunt line. The ship's name was _ARMD-03_, the _UES Enterprise_.

The ship had quite the history of being shot up to the point she was a sunken wreck, only to prove that she still had plenty of fight left in her and wasn't sunk, merely heavily damaged. She kept getting back up when others of her class were lost to battle. She just wouldn't quit. She had quite the reputation to live up to and she wasn't going down easily. Her guns had brought her many honors and her fighters had dealt enough death to make the Grim Reaper jealous.

Still, in the end she was abandon and forgotten only for a group in need of ships to find her and put her back into service after a detailed refit that made her more of the predator. Now she was using that new found fact to devastating effect as the _Girty Lue_ staggered as it was hit again, this time one of the engines flew off and exploded!

"That's the Big E's power! Don't you forget it!" the Captain yelled as he toyed with his silvery blonde mustache.

Oh how he waited for this day, for this chance to get revenge for his command. He was so eager, but not too much so to note that he had a job to do. He was a professional soldier and knew the drill better than the others who he had worked with. One doesn't win a war with money for money is _never_ relative to war. He knew that, while others hadn't and they had all died as a result of such foolishness.

Now he was fighting, because of a group of fools who didn't even know that they were being used.

"Fire!" he ordered after giving instructions to the crew and as the Big E moved about, two of her turrets rotated and fired twin streams of energy at the _Girty Lue_.

* * *

Captain Neo Roanoke, leader of the 81st Autonomous Corps, the Phantom Pain Special Forces Section, watched as the two top Gottfried turrets were torn away by the enemy fire along with a fair bit of the port pontoon. He knew his ship wasn't meant for this kind of stand up fight despite her design and armor, she was a rather fragile ship. He knew it was only a matter of time and chose that discretion was the better part of valor.

"Launch flares," he ordered and then said through gritted teeth when the bridge crew looked at him, "WE. ARE. LEAVING!"

The crew wasn't surprised, they knew they're ship was fragile, but Earth was endangered, though with those unknown burgundy colored units shooting at both ZAFT, the Terrorists, and _THEM _as well as fighting this new group, it wasn't so surprising. With the lost of most of their mobile suits or being unable to launch anymore, the _Girty Lue_ was effectively a sitting duck.

Suddenly, three pairs of light shot past the _Girty Lue_ as the flares finished dying out. A thunderous explosion could be heard as the shockwave ran through the _Girty Lue_ and shook the ship up. The crew looked behind their ship to see the expanding debris cloud of another ship that had been cleverly hidden behind them… along with the gun turrets that had undoubtedly been aimed at the vulnerable stern of the _Girty Lue_.

"What kind of ship was that!?" the sensor operator was shocked he hadn't seen or detected the ship behind them.

It also didn't help that the debris told of a ship that wasn't known to them. There were also turrets of similar design and caliber to the enemy ship before them. The bridge crew concluded, and correctly so, that that expanding debris field was once the home of the burgundy colored units. Now it was flotsam and scrap metal.

"I really think we need to leave and NOW!" Captain Roanoke shouted the last part.

The _Girty Lue_'s remaining engines flared to life and she began to limp away from the battlefield followed by her three mobile suits. Though it was still in for a fight as a pair of burgundy fighters pursued, launching missiles that never made it thanks to the intervention of the _Enterprise_ and her own CIWS. Still, the _Girty Lue_ was rocked and Captain Roanoke was thrown from his seat.

He had all of two seconds to register the bulkhead he was about to crash into and then he knew peaceful slumber as he had been left unconscious by the blow. His mask-like helmet was all that saved him from death, but the helmet shattered under the impact, its remains now becoming a hazard to the bridge crew. One of the bridge operators went to assist his captain when the XO barked at him to sit back down and wait until they were safe!

The crew reluctantly left their leader as he floated in the zero gee environment that was their ship.

As the _Girty Lue_ escaped, her transgressors didn't last long as a pair of Wolf fighters descended upon the pair and they were torn apart by no less than a dozen missile hits… each.

* * *

Back at the raging battle that was going around Junius Seven, with the loss of their mothership and the near annihilation of their unit, three surviving Freedom Crux fighters were dogfighting with their opponents of the numerical Skull Squadron and the remaining terrorists, which were pretty much clay pigeons to the two Veritech squads.

Unfortunately, the three burgundy colored fighters didn't have the luxury of wasting ammo and time on the terrorists. The true threat at that point was the Skull Squadron.

The trio dodged fire as Skull 22 and Skull 23 pursued them with lightning quick reflexes and skilled hands.

"We can't lose them!" screamed a young woman.

"Calm yourself!" barked the eldest of the trio.

"Break and dive, this battle is over," the leader, a young man ordered and did as he instructed and was followed by the remaining two members of his unit.

The three dove into the upper atmosphere, intent on returning to an ally base as soon as Junius Seven's remains struck the planet. ZAFT had managed to destroy most of the incoming ruins, but there was still enough to cause unheard level of damage. It would be enough to trigger another war. They had completed their mission.

That is until Skull Squadron broke off and left the combat zone, but Skulls 22 and 23 were tied up with by terrorists while diving into the atmosphere. They couldn't escape and sent a signal to the Big E to start its attack run.

Armor-3 unleashed a pair of large missiles, followed by many smaller missiles. The resulting explosions were destroyed most of the large remains and those left were reduced in size and threat. The debris shower though, would still cause a lot of damage and causalities.

Skulls 22 and 23 began to attack the debris with their remaining munitions in the hope of reducing the damage and loss of life. The remaining terrorists threw themselves at the two hoping to stop them, but all they did was become a minor nuisance and were quickly dispatched. Though, it they did succeed in using up both munitions and time for the pair of fighters. They wouldn't be able to stop as much, but they did what they could and the damage and causalities would be considerably lower now.

Still, they had ammo to use and use it they did. Most of the large chunks were too large for their remaining munitions, but a lot of the smaller ones could be reduced to become a non-lethal piece of fireworks in the sky day or night. That's exactly what the duo did and they began to reduce the number of large chunks before they hit critical reentry. Once, they hit it, they changed into fighter mode and began using their computers to help guide their remaining shots, mostly missiles and the result was a beautiful light show for those Earth side.

Still, in the end, a lot of chunks made it through, including one a little under a mile in diameter that slammed into Earth, but before the full weight could be felt by the planet, a missile exploded creating a mushroom cloud that took out the tail third of the debris and preventing Armageddon. The Big E had launched one of its largest missiles just in time and had managed to meet the debris piece in the nick of time. The resulting explosion saved the world from a very long and very cold winter.

Yet, the damage was done and by the end of the year causalities would be in the high thousands, how high wouldn't be determined for some more time.

Thankfully, they would never reach the millions and major damage to major cities, food sites, transportation sites, and more was averted.

And as for Skulls 22 and 23…

* * *

Sorry for being late everyone with my updates, but needs before wants and though I hate it, I prefer and want a stable roof over my head, especially in winter.

I know I left a cliffhanger, but all things in do time. So no worries, I nearly have all my things in order, it'll just take a month or two more. So I will be able to spare more time to my stories.

And for FRAK'S SAKE!

Leave some reviews!

I need some feedback to keep up the good work and I always welcome ideas!

So, please read and review and let me know what you think, on all accounts!

P.S. – The title's reference is to CV-6, _Yorktown_-Class, _USS Enterprise_, when all other Ally carriers were sunk or elsewhere, the Enterprise successfully gave the Imperial Japanese Fleet enough trouble until the repeatedly damaged _USS Saratoga_ and the new _Essex_-Class Carriers came onto the scene. Thanks in large part to _USS Enterprise_, the South and Eastern Pacific areas remained firmly in Ally hands and by war's end, did indeed, earn her 21 battle stars, which no ship to date has been able to match.

Sadly, CV-6 was scrapped, but her legacy continues on in CVN-65 _USS Enterprise_ of the _Enterprise_-Class Nuclear Powered Carrier and first in the world, which spawned the _Nimitz_-Class, which is really a smaller _Enterprise_-Class design.

Heck, when the 'Little E' was damaged at one point, the crew of the repair ship AR-4 _USS Vestal_ stayed aboard the _Enterprise _right up to two hours before she was sent back into the fight when all other ships were elsewhere.

Heck, the _Vestal_ had its fair share of hard work, patching up ships that would have otherwise been total write offs or needing to be scuttled, or being sunk by either internal charges or by ally fire.

So expect to see a space borne _Vestal_ in the future as I'm pulling out all the stops for this story!


	3. Raising Curtain

_**Robotech: The Cosmic Era**_

_**Chapter Two**_

_**The Curtain Begins to Rise**_

"_**The People cry out for a Champion Gundam!"

* * *

**_

_**Independence Space Base**_

**Location Unknown**

**November 6****th****, CE 73**

The many ships in desperate need of repair were finally getting their needed overhaul, but the crews needed to truly bring the ships back to life were long gone and no more were immediately available. Fortunately for several ships, new crew now stood on their decks, mostly outcasts, pirates, deserters, and those who were lucky to even be alive. One ship that had a crew, her original crew, was the _Vestal_. A lone repair ship getting all the girls back up and ready to go back into the fight.

_Vestal_ was formerly an Atlantic Federation _Cornelius_-Class Supply Ship that worked with the lone _Archangel_-Class _AFS Dominion_. The Space Forces though did not approve of a lone ship to supply another lone ship, so the decision had been made to convert the _Vestal_ into a Repair Ship unless more _Archangel_-Class were ordered, but none were. Several high level officers protested, but they were already too late and the _Vestal_ was already being converted. For this reason alone, it had missed the Skirmish at Mendal, though it was in time for the Battle of Boaz.

The _Vestal_ and several other repair ships were caught in the first GENSIS attack. By some miracle the _Vestal_ avoided destruction along with her fellow _Vestal_-Class Repair Ships and the crews weren't turned into bloody splashes on the bulkheads, but despite their own damage and causalities, went back to work repairing the fleet. Twenty-two ships were put back in fighting trim and _Vestal_-Class crews stayed aboard other ships as they re-entered battle, only leaving when the first shots were exchanged.

It was only thanks to the crews of the repair ships and the ships themselves that the remaining strength of the Sixth and Seventh Orbital Fleets were able to put such a strong front during the Final Charge, and in the midst of the fighting the _Vestal_ had found that the _Izumo_-Class _OUS Kusanagi_ was in need of repair and quickly had gone to the assistance of the enemy ship to put her back into the fight to the surprise of the ship's crew.

That one action quickly proved to be the turning point that allowed the _Kusanagi_ and the _ZMS Eternal_ to rush the ZAFT defenses and break them, allowing others to follow the two ships in a desperate attempt to save the Earth from destruction.

_Vestal_ though was beset by her own forces for her actions and was listed as destroyed by the Triple Alliance, and then later the credit of her destruction went to ZAFT. The truth was that another ship appeared and destroyed the aggressors and safely escorted the _Vestal_ to her new home port and her new fleet. A fleet that was in need of such a ship as the _Vestal_ and her new mission was also clear to those aboard her. This new fleet and mission were going to both test the limits of the _Vestal_ and her two sisters, _AFS Scapa Flow _and_ AFS Mare Island_.

At first glance, the _Vestal_ still looked like a _Cornelius_-Class, the same with her following half sisters, but that was at first glance. The ship had been lengthened to about 540 meters in length from the original 435 meters. The hull was widened considerably to 185 meters to allow damage ships to 'sit' in the new cavernous dock where the sides of the hull had been lowered to form a blocky U-shape underside to allow direct docking with _Drake_-Class or _Nelson_-Class ships. This gave the ship an addition 60 meters depth not including the added height from all the needed equipment installed in place of weapons, save several batteries of Igelstellung CIWS and three modified _Nelson_-Class beam single gun turrets, Amanesel Cannons.

Two new Repair Ships though were going to join the group as several crews had lost their ships when Ptolemaeus had been destroyed. The crews themselves, as well as the civilians that had been with them had been lucky ones and miraculously survived the destruction of the Lunar Base. Without ships and already declared dead, these new additions helped to rebuild a once formidable military. Still it was a long ways off, but they were getting close to finishing the ships, they just needed the crews.

Elsewhere though, a woman was clutching a pair of white booties, remembering the sibling that lost a chance at life. She abhorred betrayal and treason and was always full of righteous fury when such things came to be. No one could blame her if they knew her history and everyone at _Independence Space Base_ knew her history. She had lost a younger sibling, a younger brother she had hoped for, but now would never know. It was in this state, that a young man with green hair found her… tears streaming down her face as it was the anniversary of that tragic day and he waited silently, standing guard like a sentinel.

* * *

**Onogoro Island, Orb Union**

**November 12****th****, 73 CE**

**Midday**

The sudden feeling of his fighter coming to rest on land jolted him back to the world of the living. Looking out and seeing that he had landed on a beach and that his wingman wasn't far off, the pilot punched the canopy open and more or less, fell out of his fighter. He landed heavily and wished that he had hadn't tried to move as his vision began to fade. He saw thought, a young woman with pink hair suddenly crouching beside him and talking.

His world went black as one name entered his mind.

'_Lacus.'

* * *

_

**Onogoro Military Hospital**

**November 14****th****, 73 CE**

**1456 HRS, Local Standard**

"Yuna! Let go!" Cagalli Yula Athha all, but pulled the man in question off his feet as he was trying to get her to return home.

"Cagalli! Sweety! Please be _–SMACK!-_" Cagalli had had enough of the self indulged worm of a man and he was currently laid out with a shiner starting to show as she marched back into the hospital and towards her brother's room.

The look on her face made sure no one else attempted such a thing, though the Seiran family would be hard pressed to find someone at the moment to try since all were cheering their leader. To make the point ever more clear as to were the military stood, the base commander ordered a lock down of his base so no one would try again. Still, he made sure that certain individuals were allowed to come and go as they pleased. He was still a staunch Athha Loyalist where others were considering joining the Seiran Faction.

Still, after this little display, the military commanders would undoubtedly realign solidly under the Chief Representative. It was a good time to be a soldier in the Orb National Defense Force. Heck of a lot better than surviving in both the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty, which was still getting out of Patrick Zala's shadow, or the Oppose Militancy and Neutralize Invasion Enforcer, which was still low in the mud even after Muruta Azrael's death.

A lot of folks felt sorry for both armies and then Junius Seven happened. Whoever the new guys are, people were sure proud of them. They saved a lot of lives at the risk of their own, even if they weren't able to save all lives; they were able to save still many more.

Even ZAFT's new warship, _ZMS Minerva_ was a welcome sight in Orb, just one of their pilots just couldn't keep his fuse in check and that was pretty much it for any problems.

* * *

**Room 419**

Cagalli looked at the sleeping face of her twin brother she had thought dead, yet she had this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that told her he was alive. Now she knew why, but she should have known from the start. They were twins after all and thus they were connected as such. It was good feeling to have and to know that her brother was right before her made her happier than she had been in a long time.

Suddenly a small hand grabbed on to Kira's hair and began to yank on it gently. Cagalli turned to see her daughter, who had her hair, but her father's green eyes. Little Izumi Zala Athha was her little one's name and she was glad she had brought her along. It allowed Kira to be near his niece, one she doubted he knew about as she and the others, especially Athrun, went through so much to hide the girl from discovery. It would simply not do to have the Seiran's learn of her.

"That hurts Izumi-chan," Kira said, adding the classic Japanese suffix to Izumi's name and the little girl giggled as though pleased he had awakened and telling Cagalli that he knew and that would mean that others knew as well.

"I guess they were right about children seeing things that adults miss," Kira sighed as his eyes opened, but the small smile he had on his face as he looked at Izumi who giggled some more, was priceless.

He then turned to Cagalli and smiled. He was glad to see his sister again. Seeing her and her child made his heart swell with joy and pride in knowing that by standing up to the radicals, he had made a better world, even if it was only a small bit. He couldn't help, but be proud of himself.

Cagalli promptly launched herself at Kira without a second thought at seeing him smile in his gentle way towards her. It was proof that it was really Kira as he only smiled like that when he was truly content. Her tears came freely as she hugged the poor man and continued to say his name over and over. He had really returned to her, her brother was back from the dead.

Mana who was in the room couldn't help the tears that came as she took care of little Izumi. The small child was so much like her mother when she was that age. Full of spirit and good will, even at such an early age. It did the woman good to be able to care for Izumi like she had Cagalli. She was so proud of the little girl who had grown up and come to possess the same fire as her father had and had a fire than had nearly gone cold when that terrible war ended.

After a few moments, Cagalli sat back and in typical Cagalli fashion, lashed out with a right hook and a battle cry of, "YOU JERK!"

Mana sighed, she had hoped _that_ would have stayed in the past, but as it stood, she wouldn't be Cagalli without that fiery temper of hers.

"First time in nearly two years and she slugs me," Kira mumbled from the other side of the bed where he had fallen on the floor, "figures she'll do that."

"What was that?" Cagalli was, like all female heroes who find their long lost brothers or lovers, full of (not so) righteous fire.

"Since when did you start wearing a skirt," Kira asked as a way to diffuse the situation, though knowing that it wouldn't do so.

Cagalli blushed like the color of a certain Astray Mobile Suit as Kira had a good view up her knee length blue skirt, even though she had matching blue shorts of a slightly darker color on underneath. She allowed her feminine fury to overtake all else and the doctors decided to wait out the storm as there was no way that even a pilot in a mobile suit would go in there or until Lacus Clyne arrived. Whichever came first, they knew Kira was going to have a few extra bruises.

Fortunately, both Athrun Zala and Lacus chose that moment to arrive and Athrun ran into the room only to run out again with Cagalli now after him.

"My, her emotions remind me of when we found out that she was carrying Little Izumi," Lacus spoke in her usual way at the sight of the scene before her, the occasional crash telling her that Athrun was still a step ahead.

"I don't think Lord Athrun will survive having another child with Lady Cagalli if that's the case," Mana just gave in and was joined by Izumi at laughing at the two's antics.

The soldiers pretended nothing happened and heard absolutely nothing.

* * *

**Seiran Mansion**

**1834 HRS, Local Standard Time**

"So she's being temperamental again, just like her father before he calmed after reaching full adulthood," Unato Ema Seiran sighed as he looked at his son who had gained a second black eye from a woman in Alex Dino's company.

"How can women hit so hard?" Yuna Roma Seiran whined as the doctor finished tallying the injuries, namely all the bruises he got from a few of the base guards that felt the need to remind him of his place when it came to Cagalli and Orb in general, neglecting (or did they?) the fact that he was a nobleman.

"The soldiers seem to treat Cagalli as if she was the Goddess herself!" Yuna whined some more and both doctor and father were considering adding bruises themselves.

"Yuna," Unato commanded his son's attention and got it, "whine again and I'll give you something to worry about!"

Seeing his otherwise useless heir finally shut up and sit quietly, Unato began to think about the problems Kira Yamato would create now that he's back. He already had enough problems with Athrun Zala, under the identity of Alex Dino, but this was by far the worst to date. Kira might be able to disband the government that Unato had carefully crafted before the Alliance's invasion two years ago. A government that went into power when the previous one was all, but wiped out by the Alliance!

His plans may very well be undermined as the other pilot had manage to avoid being taken to the hospital and he had men all over the country and the surrounding waterways and sea looking for him.

To annoy him even further, the guards watching both machines were fanatical Athha Loyalists. This all, but guaranteed he would never get anyone near the damn machines like LOGOS wanted. They were really breathing down his back for that and he could understand as the Freedom Cross Squadron had nearly been wiped out and he feared someone who could best their elite troops. They were a danger to his plans of taking over Orb and holding it as his own.

Turning to his son, Unato spoke as soon as the doctor was gone.

* * *

**Branch of a strong Oak**

**801 meters out from the Seiran Mansion**

**Same time**

"Speak and I shall hear and tell all you have to say fool," a man with a mask smiled he listened in to the conversation between the two Seirans.

He frowned at their plan for Cagalli and spoke his thoughts, "Kira is personally going to show you the effects of standing behind a fighter during a launch in vacuum for that one," then a thought came, 'personally, I always wondered what GENESIS Alpha set at its lowest power setting could do to the human body of a pair of fools.'

The next bit made him wonder when the two had broken up their meeting and he listened to Yuna as he was the loudest one, 'why didn't I concentrate on the fools who come up with such crazy ideas, radical or not that one was simply going to introduce them to the business end of a Cat's laser array for starters.'

The man was known as the White Knight of ZAFT couldn't help, but snort at the walking stupidity known as Yuna Roma Seiran.

Rau Le Creuset definitely needed to make so they didn't succeed, especially Yuna with that whole crazy scheme for Cagalli and while she would be forced to sing _'Yuna My Love'_ over and over and that was a song that didn't exist, thankfully.

"She only punched him once, the soldiers a dozen times and he still doesn't get it," Rau shook his head, "I wonder if he was dropped on his head as a child more than a dozen times?"

He checked the recorder he had left listening to Unato and found quite a bit he liked to hear and was far saner than Yuna.

'_I wonder if Yuna is in Morpholand?'_ thinking the Seiran heir was probably given some medication and it had an adverse reaction, hence the name of the state of being derived from the pain killer Morphine, with him, _'Probably.'

* * *

_

**Small Island in the South Pacific**

**Name long forgotten to history**

**November 15****th****, CE 73**

**Late at Night**

**Storm Raging**

It was only fitting that some of the heavy early fighting fought many decades ago occur on this small island again. The hidden locations of the base of the Dark Brotherhood Squadron as well support facilities for LOGOS/Alliance Forces throughout the region. It was really fitting as the people who lived on the island, lived in fear of the birdmen. Now new birdmen garbed in black and red had appeared to combat the coal black colored birdmen.

The group of priestesses continued to chant in the hidden shelter of the villagers.

It was a shrine with a red and white birdman sitting as though it was just resting in the back of the cavern. It's color fading with time, though because of its significance to the villagers, it was still well cared for and following with available color. It was believed that the soul of the birdman behind them had been taken by a priestess to the stars after the birdman passed, taken to the stars by the priestess it had come to love. It was considered a holy relic of the highest order and protected as such and was used to show the devotion of priestesses who wed, mostly to the band of glider pilots who flew amongst the sky.

The sky before the head priestess and her sisters full of light tracing and following as the scream of death filled the air with short lived suns and bright light appearing every so often on the ground as figures were outlined in the darkness in various poses including death poses.

The ground beneath everyone rocked and rumbled with the deadly explosions and the hard landing of both plane and wreckage.

The smell of ozone and sulfur filled the air with dozens of other smells, most unwanted and unlike.

Shafts of light, colored in several forms, came to life with various hums, some gentle that they were nearly missed and others that sounded like wild animals lusting for flesh to eat and the banshee shriek of metal being forcibly torn filled the air along with the hiss of both super heated and cooling metal.

It was a sight straight from hell for the villagers and it terrified them.

After a long and harrowing several hours, as the sun began to peak upon the horizon, the storm of both weather and war had stopped. The villagers waited with baited breath, when their relic's visor like eyes flashed blue and held that blue color that was soft and ambient.

The people waited with baited breath as they heard the unmistakable sound of the birdmen approach.

A shadow appeared as the Sun continued to raise, tension thick as the oldest trees of the island.

As the Sun rose, the birdmen were revealed as the black and red ones and they weren't alone.

"Everyone okay?" a young woman's voiced asked in their native tongue, it was a priestess, not one that they knew, but she was dressed slightly different.

"Who are you?" the Elder Chieftess of the Priestesses inquired, holding the Winged Prayer Stick of the Birdmen, readying to protect her people.

The stranger smiled and produced the other half of a sacred artifact that now sat before the Ancient Birdman.

"I am the Priestess of the Stars and have returned with mighty warriors to free and protect all who cherish peace," she bowed to the elder priestess, and then spoke words only known among the hierarchy of the priestesses.

"I welcome you home Daughter of the Priestess Sara and the Warrior Shinn," the old woman smiled and villagers rushed to welcome both their ancestor's daughter and her warrior guard, the Night Raven Squadron home.

* * *

**Heaven's Base, Iceland**

**Two Days Later  
**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WERE DEFEATED!" Djibril roared in fury at the temporary leader of the Dark Brotherhood Squadron.

"Just as I said and we identified them as unmistakably as the VFS-Four Night Raven Squadron," the man said in a clip tone full of hostility towards his supposed leader.

"That Squadron is gone! They don't exist anymore!" Djibril argued, again, that the VFS-4 was no more.

"Yeah and what about VFS-One and VFS-Nine?" the man challenged and Djibril nearly struck the man, but an iron grip stopped him and he glared at the man with such audacity to even touch him!

"Strike my pilots and you will die," the man's voice was as cold as space and Djibril coward inwardly, but gave a gruff grunt on the outside.

"Clearly, some remain, but they are most likely still trying to rebuild and lack resources and personnel," one of the LOGOS members spoke having been in deep thought.

"Personnel yes, resources though are greater than our own, collectively," the man said, effectively taking control, not that anyone, but Djibril had problems with it.

_-BLAM!-_

Everyone jumped as Djibril was making sounds as the bullet hole in his right side dropped him to the ground with his pistol.

"I believe I can stabilize the issue for now," the shooter, a woman with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes walked in dressed in a simple three piece light blue business suit for women with matching stockings and high heels.

"Agreed Miss Mary Azrael," the man spoke and others nodded, for this woman, the twin sister to Murata Azrael, was a rose worth being careful of.

* * *

_**Mobile Space Base Messiah**_

**November 20****th****, CE 73**

Looking at his new chess pieces, all green, Chairman Gilbert Durandal looks at what his spies and other sources have discovered. So far only a small number of green pieces are on the board proper, while the others sit nearby. He had been prepared, but now he wasn't so sure, because of this he was observing his own forces and namely his own pawns. He would need to be careful until he knew more.

The new green pieces, the 'Robotech Defense Force – UN Spacy.'

The white pieces, his ZAFT forces.

All the black pieces, the Alliance Puppet Forces, with corresponding colors to denote countries.

The red pieces, the True Forces of LOGOS.

And finally, the gold pieces, barely more than the green pieces, the United Emirates of Orb, chiefly broken into two groups, the purple stripped Seiran Faction and the blue stripped Athha Faction.

Still, it was the green pieces that drew his attention.

"Who are you UN Spacy?" he asked the pieces and he could almost feel the smile, like a predator had just caught its prey, upon him.

He knew that time was going to be hell until he learned who they were.

* * *

**Daedalus Space Base**

**November 21****st****, CE73**

Explosions rocked the base as the _OES Girty Lue_ shot its way out of the base's main port. On board the rogue ship, a number of officers and crew had mutinied when they were to be executed for learning the true identity of their commander. They were helped by the available Extended who all took a liking to the commander. The ship, once clear of the base, activated its Mirage Colloid and vanished into the vastness of space.

Still, on the bridge, the revived ship commander couldn't help, but be proud of the smirk he had on as he saw the base firing at all their weapons, filling the space around the base full of fire, but unknown to the base defenders the ship sat patiently near the command tower, just outside its view area and under cover.

"The impossible made possible," the blonde man said with a smile.


	4. Preview, Enjoy!

Alright, I've fallen behind and developed one nasty backlog. I'm currently playing catch up, too many ideas have been bouncing around in my head and I've been having hell getting things written down. I'm working on clearing things up and have chosen four stories to put all my attention on.

These four are of course _**Robotech: The Cosmic Era**_, _**Maelstrom Tiger**_, _**Vipers**_, and _**Uzumaki no Nami**_.

Now this will take some time to get them all up to date and that's not including the two stories, _**The**_ _**Endymion Ghosts**_ and _**Classified**_, which are being worked on at this time. One is undergoing a refit and the other is a new idea that has several takes, but is currently very complicated and I'm looking into possibly two different stories.

I'm also going through my notes to get my Xenosaga/Halo crossover going again. So there will be delays in the future, but they shouldn't be too bad. I'm not going to simply jump in and trend like I have been.

I used to have many hours of to work, but I've been limited to just a couple of hours a day, literally ONLY two hours a day, at least until I can get my computer up and running again along with updated OS and systems. I know that I this ain't fair, but I really need to get to work, I've been looking for the needed spare parts and I've got a good lead on one to get my computer working again, but for now, I'll be doing several things to bring the stories up and running, including Previews.

Like now!

The following is a preview of the next exciting addition of _**"Robotech: The Cosmic Era."

* * *

**_

"_Today, the United Emirates of Orb has made the following startling announcement of the marriage between Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha and Ace Mobile Suit pilot and war hero, the Flames of Justice himself, Athrun Zala!"_ the Fed-Net anchorwoman announced to a stunned crew of the _Girty Lue_ as they listened in for more information on what was going on, which they could get more or less from the news, even with censorship and propaganda, _"the most shocking report is the guest list and the Best Man for Athrun Zala,_" the crew listened in more closely and were then sent for a loop, like most of the Earth Sphere, _"the Best Man is none other than Kira Yamato! Yes folks you heard right, Kira Yamato, the Sword of Freedom hasn't been broken yet! Though he is not the only surprise, there are in fact several names listed as military officers of a UN Spacy, a military arm of what is believed by some to be a UN led colonization mission and these soldiers have recently returned and were the party responsible for destroying most of Junius Seven."_

"Can you believe that Captain?" Ian Lee asked as he turned to his superior, though technically they were either of the same rank or Lee was the more senior, but he wasn't going to usurp how things were going and going well at that.

"Surprising isn't even the right word," Mu La Flaga said as he rubbed Stella Loussier's back, the blond Extended taking a nap against the blond man's side like they were siblings or close relatives, or even father and daughter.

"This is just too weird," one crewman put it as he delivered some food to the crew on the bridge of the ship.

"Well, when we reach the target point, we're…" the operator cursed, waking Stella as she knew what that meant even in her sleep, "Hostiles again… it's the bastards!"

The alarms rang throughout the ship as a ship with a round prow chased after them. The whole ship was rounded and reminded them of a lengthened and rounded version of the ship that had shot so many holes in them back during Break the World. The ship was a dark color, black or not was undecided, with red trim and seemed to hide from their sensors most of the time, but where there was particularly strong N-Jammer strength from either an N-Jammer that failed to get dropped to Earth or in this case a couple of warships with their N-Jammers still active, they were able to 'see' through some cloaking system the other ship used. As such they were able to spot it first and note that it was the same one that had been prowling after them for the better part of three weeks.

Though with that said, it was clear they had spotted them too and that became clear as their fighters and mobile armor scrambled to intercept them. The ship also brought its main batteries around and began firing, but the debris was thick and the cannons, as per usual, was lacking _some_ power do to the N-Jammers playing havoc with them. The shots hit more debris then them, but they were still straddled by the shots.

"Fire Tubes One through six and load Sledgehammers into Tubes Seven to Nine and fire when solution is established!" Mu La Flagga yelled without a second thought and the crew obeyed.

"Very big, unknown wreck to Port, Down Forty, Range Twenty-Three Hundred!" reported the sensor operator and hoped they could use it.

"You heard the man helm!" Mu ordered with a look full of thought, but aware of his surroundings.

"_When do we launch?"_ asked one of the Dagger L pilots from down in the briefing room.

"Planning that at the moment! IAN!" Mu gave command to his XO who started to issue orders while Mu planned, using every bit of information they could garner and what they could and could not do with the resources on hand and the current 'terrain' features.

"_Engineering here, if you're hoping for the Mirage Colloid, don't hold your breath, the system is still cooked a nice golden at the moment, at least it ain't over done burnt black anymore,"_ the Head Engineer's words were very much unwelcome, but at least that was something else to be written off, even if the tactical implications were not something to be liked.

Ten days earlier, in their last encounter, the hostile ship had launched some kind of EMP weapon that had totally fried their Mirage Colloid. While that meant they couldn't go dark and silent, it didn't leave them without their weapons and those were a reason while the _Girty Lue_ was a Warship and not a Spyship. This was made boundlessly clear when the Sledgehammers found their mark.

"Can we use it to mimic?" Ian asked Engineering, praying for a miracle that would save them from this mess as the head of the engineers held a thoughtful expression for a few moments and vanished from the screen.

A short curse later followed by some sounds that didn't build confidence, even as the _Girty Lue_ came about to give a full barrage from all her Gottfrieds. The pursuer was finding the prey to be tough, though it was being cautious for good reason, it had been ten days since last they seen each other and her two attendants had found themselves not enjoying smacking themselves into the other _half_ of Junius Seven. Some more sounds emanating from the communications with Engineering and then…

"_That should do it, but not for long, so move!"_

The _Girty Lue_ visually appeared to phase into nothingness, but looked more like a ghost ship now!

The pursuing ship couldn't get a lock on and when the Girty Lue put herself into the view of the sun and the Earth, she all but disappeared visually. Though that wasn't enough of a deterrent as the enemy craft could still track the 'wake' of the Girty Lue and did so. The pursuers had their orders and they would carry them out to the letter. They _wouldn't_ let the ship get away this time.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

**Same Time**

"Trouble's coming ma'am," a sensor operator reported looking only slightly interested, "looks like that rouge OMNI ship we've been hearing about and a… well that's interesting," the pause had gained the attention of the equally bored officer who shifted her weight as she glanced out with her good eye at the sight of the approaching ships.

"I know some of those moves…" she trailed off, with a small smile; he really knew how to make the impossible, possible.

"Tell the Mad Dog to enjoy stretching his legs," the woman was glad they managed to recruit that one man, though he was more of a Ground Pounder, he was surprisingly adapt at space warfare.

* * *

_IRS Girty Lue_ versus _AUNS Sword of Drought_

The running fight between the two ships now went towards the wreck, a wreck that was clearly not of Earth Alliance, Orb, Clyne, nor ZAFT make! The unknown vessel was extremely long; at least a kilometer and a half in length and it was clear that it was longer, though most of the nose appeared to have been blown off at one point. It was slightly triangular, but with flattened sides and the top from on point back to the end of the ship built with a 'razorback' style superstructure rounded at the stop, while the bottom was more like a sea going ship reminding them of their destroyers. Towards the center, the ship's hull went upwards and then streamlined back, while another superstructure sported below in this recess, then it curved back upwards right into the engine nacelles that were met from the sloping of the upper superstructure's stern area.

The overall appearance was reminded them of a proper warship design compared to ZAFT's design and that of the _Sword of Drought_ which appeared like an octagon cylinder that ran back and remind a gun enthusiast on board the _Girty Lue_ of an old fashion and ancient handgun from at least three centuries back, but with a bridge and communications system similar to an _Archangel_-class or _Girty Lue_-class in place of the hammer. From what the _Girty Lue_ had learned about the enemy ship was the _Sword of Drought_ belonged to the _Deneb_-class subclass _Herald's End_-class. The _Herald's End_-class was about a third the length of a _Deneb_-class which that class was 400 meters, as big as ARMD-03 was, albeit a bit shorter.

Though compared to the _Thuverl-Shalan_-class Destroyer and its dark green color scheme before the two ships, it was hardly something special.

As the two ships started towards, a familiar white and blue ship appeared launching fighters and putting some kind of mobile suit troop on its topside. The two found mounted topside turrets began to turn and CIWS were visibly popping up as well as the dreaded Pepper Box missile launchers. The ship was ready to fight and then it came about somewhat, showing herself off to all that looked at her. The only difference between this ship and the one that had fought them before hand was that the ship's name and number were different, she was in the double digits; _UNS Pegasus_, ARMD-14.

The _Pegasus_ feeling that she had shown off enough of herself came about and three beams of light stabbed out from her as her enemy fired back, but then four beams of light stabbed out from her flanks from sources not on the ship, she was also not alone.

Two ships advanced to take up positions in front and above to the left and directly below and off to the right of the Pegasus. They were flat hulled ships with large hanger nacelles on their wings and a large conning tower inspired bridge at the bow. Two large cannons jutted out of the hulls like machine guns on a fighter and the ships themselves had a fighter like design, only no tail fins with rudders and they were covered in armored hardpoints that hid clearly vertical launch tubes, undoubtedly for medium anti-ship missiles and a pair of a trio of engines were on their sterns arrayed like a fighter's own.

Both ships had DDG-98 _UNS Edward E. Aldrin_ and DDG-127 _UNS Musashi_ both advanced on the _Sword of Drought_, firing their cannons, their blue and white hulls alight with the color of their cannons' reports, giving a gloss appearance.

* * *

Copernicus City, Luna

8:38 PM (Von Braun Standard Time)

Andrea Doria Lunar Spaghetti Restaurant

She sat, all dress up and waiting in the back room they used to meet so many years ago, before a bitter divide caused her to leave him. She wore that same one piece evening dress that was the same shade of blue as her eyes, with three silver stripes running from her left shoulder to her the hem of the right of the dress that he had had bought her all those years ago. They had been married and had had a son, but with the rising tension she had left him, bitter and angry and that same bitterness and anger had nearly caused her to lose it all. Now she waited for the man she had thought had passed so long ago… in battle… against his own son.

"The Aegean Sea looks especially nice," she went rigid, he must have found out and sent her that call!

"Kyle Bourd," she venomously hissed out to her would be suitor, a tall man with hansom looks and silver hair like hers and her son, but his eyes were not blue, but red, "tell me my dear, how have you been, it took me some time to find out where you two used to… what did he used to say 'RV?'… Yes, RV, how quaint and militaristic of him," the man seated himself oozing self confidence.

"How," she bit out demanding, not asking.

"Easy," he said non-chantry and with a smug smile upon his lips as he let the candles play with shadows upon his face, "once he was dead, all I had to do was steal his personal and military notes and track from there, though he was no pushover when it came to hiding things, such as that son of yours birth certificates," the smile he suddenly flashed, made her feel like she was a little brown mouse that a black cat find her instead of the usual tom cat.

"You bastard!" she hissed out like a cat, her Yzak knew not that he was an Enhanced Natural and not an actual Coordinator, though he was surprisingly strong for one, above Coordinator norm even, but this information leak before her would gladly destroy his reputation for his own ends, namely her and what was left of her political base.

"Well, actually my parents were married so I'm afraid you're wrong," he replied with the same tone, but with a smile of the cat that had eaten the canary.

"Let me guess," she stated without preamble or the abandonment of her overt hostility, "my hand in marriage, children, my wealth, lands, and my remaining, but still quite formidable political power," there was no question as to what he wanted, though they both knew he also wanted more than even that!

"Plus your love, devotion, obedience, and just a few more small things to that," he stated plainly, never losing his suave approach and tone, "your son with that relic you once called husband will be safe from any harm," he seemed to think for a moment, "of course when not on the battlefield," he shrugged, he knew he was no miracle maker in that regard.

"The only decent thing said all evening," she hissed at him, trying to figure out what she could do, even her strong, remaining political power had not that much influence anymore.

"Come now Ezalia," he made his move faster than he would like, but she would need to learn her place, if for her son's safety or that of the troops under his command.

"GET BACK!" she slapped at him, her nails raking against his face, leaving marks like in times past.

Kyle Bourd recoiled in pain and again in humiliation from that one woman that would fight back. She always fought back, had it not been for that damned Natural, she would have submitted years ago! Hell, the Naturals and Earth would be a forgotten memory!

Only the fact that she had not been for the destruction of Earth had saved her, that and her friendship with Tad Elsman. She had barely escaped with her life and Yzak had nearly been tried for shooting down a military refugee shuttle, but that had been put to rest before hand. Too much she had done and Yzak had nearly paid for it.

Feeling herself get grabbed by Kyle Bourd, Ezalia knew what was about to happened.

"It will not be short, nor will you enjoy it," he would make her his, but another stopped him.

"Nor shall it be for you," the strong commanding voice stated as Kyle Bourd found himself sliding down the wall after being tossed across the room.

The snobbish man cleared his head, giving a good couple of shakes and then rubbing his eyes to stop the world from spinning then pinching his nose for good measure. He was now quite upset, both at the intrusion and the stupidity of his guards to allow someone to interfere. He got back to his feet shakily leaning against the wall, but before he could speak or raise his head, a fist was buried in his stomach, forcing all the air out of his lungs as he doubled over in pain.

He found himself wheezing and sucking in air painfully as he stared at the black shoes and several golden chevrons pointed upwards on what he saw as white military trousers. He immediately fought to get his breath under control and began to look up. He immediately saw a blue officers coat that started, at least to him, at mid thigh and continued up, trimmed in gold and red with gold and red stripes on the cuffs of the coat when he found the arms crossed at the chest, to whom he noted was tall and broad shouldered. The coat he noticed was doubled breasted with the twin line of buttons going up and had a high collar that was open in the front, but came to just about the ears of the man who wore it. The silvery blond man also wore a white Naval Officers Cover with a black bill and plenty of Scrambled Eggs on it. He also noted a gold button in the middle of the cover where the bill met the cover itself and that a red band ran around the whole of the cover for easy adjustment of the headwear. Though it was the simple in the gold button, a blue circle with a white four point star, like a triangle or old fashion kite or shield with white olive branches nestled just beneath the seal and twin lightning bolts crossing behind the seal with an anchor…

…United Nations Space Navy, but the face is what caused the artificially tanned pale face of Kyle Bourd to become far paler…

"Hello Bourd," Admiral (O-10) Lewis Halberton said glaring down at the man, "Didn't we do this dance once before?"

Kyle Bourd screamed like a little girl as the fighting admiral reached down and picked him up.

* * *

So here's a start, this nearly became its own story right here and now. Please excuse my tardiness in getting things in order, but I should be having extra work done soon. For now, I'm prioritizing as the top two stories Robotech: The Cosmic Era and Vipers, I should have had the second chapter up by now, but I went seriously overboard with that one. I hope to have them up something this week or next week, or at least Vipers, there after I'm gonna start seeing what ones I need to update once the next chapter is made for RTCE, getting all of my good stories up to the second or third chapter.

With summer setting in and my debts getting paid I should be back in the swing of things with in the next two months.

I ask that all readers to please be patient as well as share ideas on the various stories I have written thus far.

Please contact me if you have one and I'll see what I can do, but as for Naruto stories, sorry, bashing characters for the mere sake of it as well as the whole mob and whole village out to kill, screaming demon into the night (Can't keep a secret can that?) I must, with no regret, decline.

Though I would like to issue a challenge at this time.

For there to be a Sherlock Holmes/Naruto crossover, BUT with Naruto playing the part, not him meeting Sherlock.

Thank you and have a pleasant year.


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